Bracket



' J. sToNE Jan. 14, 1930.

BRACKET Filed March '7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES JAMES STONE, OF LA GROSSE, WISCONSN BRACKET Application filed March 7, 1927. Serial No. 173,387.

This invention relates to brackets to support portable lap-boards and table tops and more particularly to brackets adapted to support lap-boards of the type set forth in U. S.

Letters Patent No. 1,106,901 and No. 1,286,442 issued to me and dated August 11, 1914, and December 3, 1918, respectively.

Lap-boards of the type referred to are adapted for users of automobiles, as they may be easily and quickly rolled up when not in use. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a bracket to support such a lap-board for use in an automobile, though it has other uses. Another object is to provide means for removably securing` one margin of the bracket to the rug-rod, with which automobiles are generally provided, together with meansfor bracing the shelf part of the bracket against some fixed support.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the shelf portion of the bracket may be enlarged so that, when used in an automobile in which the space between the rear of the front seat and the rear seats is relatively large, the board or table top supported thereon may be brought more closely to, and be more conveniently used by, the occupant of the rear seat. Another object is to provide a relatively cheap yet durable construction of bracket, having capability of being folded into small compass when not in use, one'having a neat appearance, and one simple to distend for i use, easy to position and which may be easily collapsed and stored 'for transportation.

To the attainment of these and other objects, my invention consists in the novel and useful device illustrated and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a bracket embodying my invention with a lap board or table top supported thereon, but partially broken Yaway to show the bracket shelf.

Figure 2 is an end view or elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, enlarged, the section being taken in the vertical plane indicated by the dott-ed line 3-3v of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the bracket shelf, enlarged, thesection being taken in the vertical plane of the dotted line 4 4 on Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective, enlarged, of the brace rod.

Figure f5 is a view in perspective ofa detail.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the bracket shown in Figure 1, collapsed or folded as when not m use.

Figure 8 is a sectional View of the en d of the bracket shelf, the section being taken in the vertical plane of the dotted line 8-8 on Figure 1. y

Figure 9 is a sectional view of Vthe same, taken in the vertical plane 9-9 of Figure l. Fig. 10 is a plan view of a modification.

My improved bracket is herein illustrated as attached to the rear of the front seat, indicated by the lettter A, of an automobileon the back surface of which seat there is sup- Vported by suitable brackets a, a rug rail or rod the latter extending in a familiar manner across the car and parallel with the back of the seat A.

' The bracket embodying my invention consists of an expansible Shelf member, indicated as a whole at B, and a removable and adjustable brace member C. The table top is indicated as a whole at D. The shelf member is shown as composed of a plurality of thin metal strips or bars l, 2, secured together by pivotal hinges 3 in a manner familiarly 85 known as lazy tongs, strips 4 4 of thin sheet metal form the two ends or sides of the shelf member of the bracket B, and their forward ends are given an up and a return bend so as to form hooks 5 adapted tovbe engaged 90 with the rug rail or rod b.` To the lower side of therstrips 4, two lugs 6 and 7 are secured and to these lugs the end of thelazy-tong arms 8 and 9l are pivotallysecured as indicated at 10 and 11. These lugs 6 and 7 may be pivotally or rigidly secured to the strip y4. As more clearly seen in Fig. 4, the sides of the strip 4 are bent upwardly and then inwardly towards each yother so as to form an interior channel or guide way for a metal i stripmember 12, movably positioned therein. By making the inwardly directed margins 13 of the strip overlie the longitudinal side margins 14 of the strip 12, the-latter is permitted a telescopic movement within the guide chan-V nel of strip 4. The stri member 12 is provided at one end with a ent up stop 15 and at its other end with a bent up and forwardly directed portion 16.

The tableD is laid upon the toggle or lazy removably held in proper position upon the table support. Y

Y The bracket brace C is of relatively rigid metal and is shown as having an elongated slot 19. A thumb screw bolt 20 engages an elongated slot 21 in the metal strip 22 and provides adjustable, as well as removable, connection of the brace C and said strip 22. This strip 22 extends parallel with and intermediate of the two end strips 4, 4, and is preferably located midway between them. The strip 22 may, and preferably will, be provided with a 'rod engaging hook 23 similar to the hook 5 on the end strips 4, 4.

When the lazy tongs B are not in use the end strips 4, 4, are moved towards the central strip 22 and the parts assume a small, compact bundle, as shown in Figure 7, the brace C, it will be understood, having first been removed, or having been moved into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. Y

When it is desired to use the bracket, the end strips 4 are grasped and moved apart. The arms 1, 2, 8 and 9 swinging upon their pivotal connections, enable the user to distend or spread the lazy-tongs to form a shelf of the size desired. The brace C is then adjusted Y to the proper position, the rod b or other i table top D will then be laid upon the brackety shelf, onesidemargin being engaged by the fixed support is then engaged by the hooked ends 5, 5, 23, and theend of the brace C brought to rest against lthe back A of the automobile or other fixed support.V The thumb screw 20 permits such adjustment of the brace C as to give the desired firmness to the shelf member when in the horizontal position shown in Figures 2 and 3. yThe end of the brace C may be given any shape desired, as, for example, bent as shown at 24.` The hooked portions 16, 16, and the other side margin abutting the upturned stops 15, 15'.v

When it is necessary, as in case of largerL sized automobiles, to have the -table D brought more conveniently near t0 persons sitting upon the backseat, the table D may be shifted over the lazy-tong shelf by simply in engagement with the edge 18 of the top D,

carrying the table with the members 12, 12. Such a shifted position ofthe table D is indicated by the dotted lines 25 in Figs. 7 and 2.

In order to permit the member 12 to be telescoped in and out of the strip 4 only a desired distance, I suggest the use of a stop pin 26 projecting through an elongated slot 27 in the strip 4 and entering the strip 12. As will be understood by reference to Figures 8 and 9, the pin 26, by engaging the ends of the slot, limits the movement of the sliding mem-` ber 12.

vIt will be understood that while I prefer to use the roll-up lap-board of my aforesaid Letters Patent as the table top D, any other table top or board of proper dimensions to rest upon the lazy-tong shelf part of this bracket, may be used.

Itv will also be understood that my invention may have other uses than in an automobile. For example, any construction which alfords a means for engaging the hook ends 5 (instead of the robe-rod b) and affords va fixed support for the brace C, will sustain the bracket in proper position for the table D to be placed on the lazy-tong shelf, and while the table D will usually approximate 36 inches in length and 16 inches in width, the bracket need not be limited in dimensions.

The strip and the lazy tong members are made-of sheet metal of as thin gauge as possible consistent with strengthv and durability for the uses intended.

In Figure 10, I have illustrated a modification wherein the side strips y4 are not connected together by the lazy tong construction B. In this instance said strips 4 are hooked over the rug rod b (or other fixed support), and are steadied in position by the braces C. Instead of a collapsible or specially made table top D, I may use a single board or a plurality of boards, indicated at D', the side edges of the board top being caughtV between the stops 15 and the hookedY portions 16. A The device is simple, relatively cheap, durable, easy to position for use, and'quickly reduced into compact form for Vstorage or vtransportation as an accessory inan automobile. Y

only to the center strip 22, but it is obvious that the invention need not be confined to this arrangement. I may use the brace C upon each of the end strips 4, such use being indicated by the dotted lines appropriately marked C in Figure 1. l

I claim as my invention:

I have illustrated the brace C as applied 1. A bracket for portable table tops comprising a collapsible shelf member including end strips, means thereon for removably securing said strips to a fixed support, a plurality of pivoted bars of lazy-tong arrangement, pivotally engaged with said strips for altering the longitudinal dimension of the shelf member, means on the strips for positioning a table top upon the shelf member, a brace secured to the shelf member, and telescopi@ means on the strips for altering the transverse dimension of the shelf member.

2. A bracket for portable table tops comprising a pair of transversely extending spread apart strips, each having a hook at one end adapted for operative engagement With a fixed support, a plurality of bars pivoted together in lazy-tong fashion and the set pivotally united to and between said strips, a brace operatively connected at one end to the lazy-tong construction and adapted to bear at its other end upon a fixed support, each strip being provided with a member having relative movement parallel therewith, and means on the movable member to 'engage the opposite margins of a table top.

3. A bracket for table tops comprising a plurality of spaced apart strips, hooked means on the end of each strip for operative engagement With a fixed support, a plurality of bars crossed and pivoted together in lazytong7 arrangement and pivotally united to said strips, a brace bar adjustably engaged at one end with the central strip and adapted to bear With its other end upon a xed support, each end strip being of sheet metal transversely bent upon itself to form an elongated, interior and slotted guide Way, a member slidably mounted therein, means upon the slidable member for engaging the margins of a table top and means for limiting the extent of slidable movement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afix my signature, this 21 day of February, 1927.

JAMES STONE. 

